The door that is shown in the Comte de Provence's photo is not the door to the left of the Queen's bedroom in the wall, but it is a door in the corridor that leads from the Queen's bedroom and which she opened in flight that fateful night of the 5th October 1789. If you look towards the back of the corridor you can see another doorframe and just after that on the left there is a small door that opens onto an extraordinary small dark spiral staircase which goes from top to bottom of the castle and dates from the very beginning when the central part was first built. We were lucky enough to go up these stairs to the attic floor. It is hard to imagine the existence of this secret staircase just the other side of the door that opens onto to the Oeil de Boeuf antichambre to the King's bedroom, scene of the great gatherings of courtiers, bustling with life.

_________________"Fidelité et constance, sans espoir de récompense."

Mon Jun 16, 2008 9:04 pm

Comte de Provence

Prince/Princesse

Joined: Fri Feb 29, 2008 9:00 pmPosts: 2161Location: France

Re: Behind The Secret Door...

Yes, the escalier de dupes.The staircase before that, is the one that links the private apartments of the queen to that of madame de tourzel.

Mon Jun 16, 2008 10:52 pm

jadean

Duc/Duchesse

Joined: Mon May 28, 2007 8:21 pmPosts: 154Location: Canada

Re: Behind The Secret Door...

Comte de Provence wrote:

Yes, the escalier de dupes.The staircase before that, is the one that links the private apartments of the queen to that of madame de tourzel.

This Versailles message board has a thread all about staircases of versailles,I went to see if I could find the escalier de dupes, it is the first post with a pic of the staircase, I tried to post the picture here (giving credit to the website) but I wasn't able to as I'm having computer trouble, so Here's the link, it's actually in good shape.

I don't think the stairs were used all that much, that I'm aware of, before the mob attacked.

_________________"Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown."-William Shakespeare

Tue Jun 17, 2008 11:56 pm

Comte de Provence

Prince/Princesse

Joined: Fri Feb 29, 2008 9:00 pmPosts: 2161Location: France

Re: Behind The Secret Door...

she didnt escape through the dupes, she went through the passageway.and le escalier de dupes was used when she went to the ground floor to bathe....

Thu Jun 19, 2008 3:20 am

Hellou_Librorum

Royalty

Joined: Fri Oct 26, 2007 2:25 pmPosts: 1981

Re: Behind The Secret Door...

I stand corrected. It makes sense though. I suppose it's like not wanting for people to see you in your bathrobe so you take a different route not to be seen!

_________________"Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown."-William Shakespeare

Thu Jun 19, 2008 3:39 am

baron de batz

Prince/Princesse

Joined: Wed Mar 07, 2007 10:21 amPosts: 1545Location: paris

Re: Behind The Secret Door...

I doubt if the Queen went anywhere in a bathrobe! She had ladies to undress her once in the bathroom and never bathed naked of course.

_________________"Fidelité et constance, sans espoir de récompense."

Thu Jun 19, 2008 1:29 pm

baron de batz

Prince/Princesse

Joined: Wed Mar 07, 2007 10:21 amPosts: 1545Location: paris

Re: Behind The Secret Door...

Comte de Provence wrote:

Yes, the escalier de dupes.The staircase before that, is the one that links the private apartments of the queen to that of madame de tourzel.

Exactly, the escalier des dupes! Bravo! That being said the real "journée des dupes" happened at the Luxembourg palace of Marie de Médecis, and Richelieu found a secret way in to the palace and hid himself away in order to eavesdrop and intervene at the right moment in the conversation between Louis XIII and his mother.

_________________"Fidelité et constance, sans espoir de récompense."

Thu Jun 19, 2008 1:40 pm

Hellou_Librorum

Royalty

Joined: Fri Oct 26, 2007 2:25 pmPosts: 1981

Re: Behind The Secret Door...

Well I highly doubt you would be wondering about Versailles in bathing shirt/ chemise! Were everyone else could see you. I see. All right. If you have a direct rout to the ground floor, then why bother wandering through Versailles.

_________________"Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown."-William Shakespeare

Thu Jun 19, 2008 1:47 pm

Comte de Provence

Prince/Princesse

Joined: Fri Feb 29, 2008 9:00 pmPosts: 2161Location: France

Re: Behind The Secret Door...

baron de batz wrote:

Comte de Provence wrote:

Yes, the escalier de dupes.The staircase before that, is the one that links the private apartments of the queen to that of madame de tourzel.

Exactly, the escalier des dupes! Bravo! That being said the real "journée des dupes" happened at the Luxembourg palace of Marie de Médecis, and Richelieu found a secret way in to the palace and hid himself away in order to eavesdrop and intervene at the right moment in the conversation between Louis XIII and his mother.

Yes! i have also heard his as well!i have some more photo's of it and will share them now! Thank you for the compliment Baron (see post below.)

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